An Indonesian woman has been charged in court after allegedly hiring an excavator to demolish an official government residence, claiming the property belonged to her.
The accused, Murnita Triwidyaning (MT), appeared in court on Friday after investigators concluded that the house she ordered to be demolished was in fact a government asset owned by Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance and managed by the East Java I Regional Office of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC).
According to prosecutor Hajita Cahyo Nugroho, the incident began in August 2025, when Murnita contacted a friend to ask about renting an excavator. She later obtained the contact details of a heavy machinery rental provider through WhatsApp and arranged for the excavator to be delivered to a house on Jalan Asemrowo Kali No. 23, Surabaya.
Prosecutors told the Surabaya District Court that Murnita allegedly chose to carry out the demolition at around 8pm on 27 August 2025.
When the excavator arrived, she allegedly used a hammer to break the padlock on the property’s gate before instructing the operator to tear down the gate and the house’s walls. Nearly the entire building was demolished, with only the garage left standing.
After the work was completed, Murnita allegedly paid the excavator operator 7 million rupiah (approximately RM1,583) for the demolition.
The excavator operator is currently being sought by authorities and has been listed as a wanted witness in the investigation.
The demolition attracted the attention of the local neighbourhood chief, Nanang Sudibyo, who visited the site after noticing construction work taking place without authorisation.
When questioned, Murnita allegedly claimed that she had purchased the government residence. However, Nanang became suspicious and contacted officials from Tanjung Perak Customs, who confirmed that the property remained an official government asset.
Prosecutors said the demolition caused an estimated 537.36 million rupiah (around RM121,955) in losses to the Indonesian government.
Murnita now faces alternative charges under Indonesia’s Penal Code for allegedly destroying a building and damaging another person’s property. The case is continuing before the Surabaya District Court.
